Method of assembling heavy motor vehicles

ABSTRACT

The cabs of the series, which are of different dimensions, each having a driver cab and a shield for shielding the front and sides of the vehicle frame. The shield is in the form of a continuous fascia disposed below the driver compartment, the height of this latter being the same for all vehicles of the series whereas the height of the fascia is different for the various vehicles of the series. Thus cabs of different overall heights are obtained by combining driver compartments of constant height with fascias of different height.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Cabs of heavy motor vehicles are known to comprise substantially a apair of side panels each housing a door, a front panel, a rear panel anda roof panel. These panels, normally of sheet metal, are joined rigidlytogether by welding to define a rigid structure of high mechanicalstrength, to form the compartment for the vehicle driver. A floor panelalso forms part of the cab and is shaped in such a manner as to formbelow it a housing for the upper part of the vehicle power unit. Saidcab can be tilted relative to the vehicle frame about a transverse shaftpositioned at the front of the frame, to give easy access to the powerunit and to the main mechanical members of the vehicle.

Normally the lower parts of the cab front and side panels are shaped toshield the front and sides of the vehicle frame and some of themechanical members connected to it. This shielding action is also partlyprovided by the bumper and side cab access footboards normally fixed tothe vehicle frame.

The dimensions of cabs for heavy motor vehicles belonging to one and thesame series but designed for the transportation of different loads varyaccording to the height of the vehicle axles from the ground and thedimensions of the power unit and other main mechanical members.Consequently the cabs of vehicles designed for transporting the largerloads are of larger size, and in particular have a larger overallheight. This is a consequence mainly of the fact that in addition toforming a compartment for the driver, the cab must also shield the frontand sides of the vehicle frame and main mechanical members, the verticaldimensions of which are greater than in the case of vehicles designedfor transporting small loads. The result is that the height of thefront, side and rear panels of a cab is greater in those vehiclesdesigned for transporting the greater loads. Consequently the equipmentnecessary for constructing all the cabs required for use on a givenseries of heavy vehicles with capacities varying within a fairly widerange is considerable, complicated and very costly. In addition, thenumber of mechanical parts which have to be held in store to satisfy cabproduction and subsequent spares requirements is very large.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a series of heavyvehicle cabs of different dimensions, and in particular of differentoverall heights, which obviates the aforesaid drawbacks by allowing allcabs of the series to be produced by simple low-cost equipment, and bydispensing with the need to stock a large number of parts to satisfy cabproduction and subsequent spares requirements.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a series of cabsof the indicated type in which the shielding of the front and sides ofthe vehicle frame and certain of the mechanical members connected to itis complete and is effected by screening means which satisfactorilyintegrate with the vehicle driver compartment.

These objects are attained by a series of heavy motor vehicle cabs ofdifferent dimensions and in particular of different overall heights,each cab containing a compartment for the vehicle driver. Each cabincludes a pair of side panels each of which consists of a closed frameand a door, a front panel and a rear panel. The cab also includesshielding means for shielding the front and sides of the vehicle frameand certain of the mechanical members connected to it. The saidshielding means are in the form of a continuous fascia which comprises acentral portion disposed below said front panel and a pair of sideportions each of which is disposed below a corresponding one of saidside panels. The height of said compartment is the same for all cabs ofthe series and the height of said fascia is different for the variouscabs of the series, so as to obtain cabs of different overall heights bycombining cabs of constant height with fascias of different height.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The present invention will be more apparent from the detaileddescription thereof given by way of example with reference to theaccompanying drawing which shows in FIGS. 1 and 2 parts of two heavymotor vehicles designed for transporting different loads and equippedwith cabs of the series according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The motor vehicles on which the cabs of the series are mounted havedifferent dimensions and in particular, as can be seen in the figure,the height of the shaft from the ground is different as are the verticaldimensions of the main mechanical members such as the frame 1 and thepower unit 2.

Each cab of the series is provided with a compartment 3 for the vehicledriver, comprising substantially a pair of side panels 4 each of whichconsists of a closed frame 5 and a door 6, a front panel 7 and a rearpanel 8. Said panels are of sheet metal and are joined together, forexample by welding, to form a monolithic structure of high rigidity andmechanical strength. The cab also comprises a floor panel 9 and a roofpanel 10 which delimit the cab at the bottom and top respectively.Specifically, the floor panel is shaped to form a housing 11 for theupper part of the power unit 2 and for some of the main vehicle members.

According to the invention the cab is also provided with shielding meansfor shielding the front and sides of the vehicle frame and certain ofthe mechanical members connected to it. Said shielding means are in theform of a continuous fascia 13 which comprises a central portion 14disposed below the cab front panel 7 and a pair of side portions 15,each of which is disposed below a corresponding side panel 4.

The height of the driver compartment 3 of each cab of the series is thesame, as is clear from the FIGURE, whereas the height of the fascia 13is different for the various cabs of the series, so as to obtain cabs ofdifferent overall heights by combining driver compartments of constantheight with fascias of different height. Consequently, as is clear fromthe figure, the height of the driver compartments 3 of the cabs of thetwo motor vehicles shown on the figure, indicated by A, is the samewhereas the height of the corresponding fascias 13 is different and isindicated by F₁ and F₂ on the figure. Thus the overall cab heightindicated in the two cases by C₁ and C₂ and respectively equal to A+F₁and A +F₂ is different.

Whereas the driver compartment 3 can swivel relative to the vehicleframe 1 by being rotatable about a transverse shaft indicated on thefigures by O, the continuous fascia 13 is fixed relative to the frameand is connected thereto in any convenient manner. The fascia 13incorporates the bumper 16, the headlamps H and the side footboards 17giving access to the vehicle door 6.

As is clear from the figure, the fascia 13 also comprises a surfaceportion 18 positioned above the bumper 16 and disposed inwards of thesurface which frontally and laterally delimits the bumper.

In addition, each of the side portions 15 of the fascia 13 issubstantially in contact with a corresponding vehicle mudguard 20. Thefascia can comprise a plurality of discrete elements disposedsubstantially in contact with each other such as the bumper 16 and thefootboards 17 plus suitable shielding panels arranged to shieldsubstantially the entire surface delimited by the fascia contour, oralternatively said fascia can consist of a single element of plasticsmaterial which incorporates both the bumper 16 and the footboards 17 orat least some parts of the footboards. Conveniently the fascia, or atleast some of its constituent elements, are constructed of plasticsmaterial.

The closed frame 5 of the side panel 4 of the driver compartment 3 hasthe same shape and dimensions for all cabs of the series. Thus all doors6 also have the same dimensions. In order to form those cabs of theseries which require longer lengths for the driver compartment 3, thevarious side panels 4 comprise, in addition to said frame and door,sidepieces 21 having the same height but different widths.

It is therefore apparent that each cab of the series comprises two partswith totally different functions, namely the compartment 3 foraccomodating the vehicle driver, and the continuous fascia 13 forshielding the front and sides of the vehicle frame and certain of themechanical members connected to it. When these latter are to beinspected, the driver compartment 3 is rotated about the shaft O whilethe fascia remains fixed to the frame.

Cabs of the series having different overall heights, indicated by C₁ andC₂, can therefore be obtained using driver compartments which alwayshave the same height A. Thus little equipment is required to produce thecabs according to the invention as the closed frame 5 and door 6 havethe same dimensions in all cases, and the side, front and rear panelsare always of the same height. This useful result means that the volumeof the store housing the parts required for satisfying vehicleproduction and subsequent spares requirements can be reduced.

Thus cabs of different overall height C₁, C₂, are obtained by formingcontinuous fascias of different heights F₁, F₂. The equipment requiredfor forming such different-dimension fascias is however very simple anddoes not substantially increase the overall cost of thebody-construction equipment.

In addition the shielding action provided by the continuous fascia 13 isvery efficient as this latter comprises a central portion 14 and twoside portions 15 which completely cover the corresponding front andsides of the frame 1, so giving it complete protection. It is apparentthat modifications can be made to the cabs of the series according tothe present invention, but without leaving the scope of the inventiveidea.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of assembling a motor vehicle comprisingthe steps of:(a) providing a cab, said cab having a driver compartment(3), having a preselected and constant height (A), and including sidepanels (4), each side panel being defined by a closed frame (5) and adoor (6), a front panel (7) and a rear panel (8); (b) providing aplurality of vehicle frames (1) each frame having a different height;(c) providing a plurality of shields, each shield having a differentheight (F1, F2) corresponding to the heights of the said vehicle framesand having a continuous fascia (13), a central portion (14) disposedbelow the front panel (7), and a pair of side portions (15) disposedunder the side panels; (d) selecting one of said plurality of vehicleframes; (e) mounting said cab on said one vehicle frame; (f) selectingone of said plurality of shields, said one shield having a heightcorresponding to that of said one vehicle frame; (g) mounting said oneshield to said one frame.
 2. A method of assembling a motor vehicleaccording to claim 1 including the steps of:(a) incorporating in saidfascia (13), a bumper (16), headlamps and side footboards (17) whichgive access to the doors (6).
 3. A method of assembling a motor vehicleaccording to claim 1 including the steps of:(a) providing the fascia(13) with a surface portion (18) positioned above said bumper (16) anddisposed inwards of the surface which frontally and laterally delimitsthe bumper.
 4. A method of assembling a motor vehicle according to claim1 including the steps of:(a) placing each of said fascia side portions(15) into contact with a corresponding vehicle mudguard (20)
 5. A methodof assembling a motor vehicle according to claim 1 including the stepsof:(a) forming said fascia (13) as a single element of plastic material.6. A method of assembling a motor vehicle according to claim 1 includingthe steps of:(a) providing said central portion (14) and side portions(15) as distinct elements; (b) joining the central portion and sideportions together to form said continuous shield (13).